HP Contest STAR/KINOKUNIYA 2005

The Star-Kinokuniya Bookstores Harry Potter Contest
Chapter Six : Draco’s Detour

Harry stopped for a moment because his school trunk had toppled off the trolley he was pushing. As he finally settled it back into place on top Hermione’s, he glanced around to take in his surrounding as he awaited the rest to come through the barrier of Platform Nine-and-Three-Quarters.

The Hogwarts Express was gleaming in the sunlight; magnificent as always. The platform itself was already laden with a bunch of people; parents seeing their children off, students chatting excitedly and the train crewmen rushing here and there doing their jobs.

A flash of movement brought Harry’s gaze back to the barrier, but it was only a brown poodle chasing after… something. What’s taking so long? he said to himself. Did something happen?

He was about to go check when a women casually walked through, swinging her small handbag as she went. Harry recognized the women immediately; she tucked her blonde hair behind her ear and whirled back to face the barrier just as a man in a black suit went through it, pushing a trolley. Behind him was a pale boy, his blonde hair slightly ruffled by the September wind.

“Come, Draco. I have to be off in five minutes,” she turned and walked past Harry.

As the man in the suit pushed the trolley into the luggage compartment, Malfoy followed his mother with, Harry noticed, a very odd expression on his face; it was somewhere between irritated, nervous and frustrated.

That’s weird, he’s usually sneering off either side of his face, Harry thought.

As he went past Harry and noticed him, a fresh wave of anger appeared on his face; however, he just walked (at a rather quicker pace than before, though) silently towards his mother.

Harry followed the pair as they made their way to the front section of the train compartments. Malfoy’s mother gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before she strode off, vanishing into thin air in mid-step, while Malfoy climbed into the compartment.

Harry’s attention was reverted back towards the barrier as a hand had appeared there. Moments later, a mass of bushy hair emerged. Hermione struggled to make her way through, which she managed in a few seconds.

“Well, that was something to remember,” she said as she went towards Harry.

“What happened?” Harry asked curiously, “What took you so long?”

“Well, first, Pigwidgeon somehow got out of his cage and, as usual, zoomed around like a spastic bat and made quite a racket. We all were trying to catch him without using magic, which is proving a tad difficult.”

“Did you get him?”

“No – Ron’s still looking for him when I left. Ginny and Professor Moody’s helping him. The professor sent me ahead. And because Ginny left something back at the house, Tonks had to go back and get it,” she continued.

She was about to say something else when a small, second-year boy came and said that an older student was asking for her in the Prefects’ Compartment.

“Probably the Head Boy or Girl. You’ll be okay alone, right?” she muttered.

“Sure, go ahead. I’ll probably go and help Ron.”

As Hermione ran into the compartment, Harry noticed a flurry of movement out of the corner of his eye. He turned his head in time to catch a glimpse of blonde as Malfoy disappeared behind a corner.

Where is he going? Harry wondered. Before he knew it, he was already trailing Malfoy.

Harry peered cautiously behind the corner. There was only a single door bearing large, bronze letters that spelt STORAGE. Without even thinking, Harry pushed the door open and went inside. A single lantern hovering near the ceiling was the only light source in the room. He looked around at the half-empty metal racks for a sign of Malfoy. He was nowhere in sight. Frowning, Harry turned to exit the room, when the door was abruptly snapped shut.

Malfoy stood beside the doorway; his wand already raised. There was a glint of malice in his eyes as he slowly walked towards Harry.

“What the devil are you doing?” Harry said as he stared at the wand pointed to him.

“I’ve been waiting all summer for this, Potter. Do you think you’ll get away from me after what you’ve done to my father?” Malfoy exclaimed, his voice low and grim.

He smirked wickedly before a burst of green erupted from his wand-tip. Harry had ducked in time to avoid it, though it was a very near-miss. Harry fumbled to his feet, his own wand already out, but Malfoy clearly had the upper hand. He, Malfoy, muttered another spell that knocked Harry off his feet and sent him soaring through on of the metal racks.

Harry dropped on the floor, unconscious, in a crumpled heap as Malfoy rushed out of the room at the blare of a whistle, calling the passengers for boarding.


by
WhiteWizard/ 2005